-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- California Rep. Maxine Waters is pressing the House ethics panel to set her trial date before the midterm elections in November .

`` I have made a very public request to come out with the formalized charges and to set up a meeting to hear them , '' she said Thursday in an interview with KCRW , a public radio station in Santa Monica , California .

`` Let 's hope that they do it , '' she said .

The 10-term congresswoman is accused of violating House rules by seeking federal assistance for a bank with financial ties to her husband .

According to a House ethics committee report , Waters helped arrange a meeting in September 2008 between Massachusetts-based OneUnited Bank and Treasury Department officials . OneUnited Bank ultimately received $ 12 million in bailout funds .

Waters is a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee .

According to Waters ' 2008 financial disclosure statement -- as mentioned in the report -- her husband had two investments in OneUnited at the time of the meeting . They were valued between $ 500,000 and $ 1 million .

`` There is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Waters ' conduct may have violated '' House rules , the report concludes .

Waters , who represents the Watts section of Los Angeles , insists she did nothing wrong .

`` I have not violated any House rules , '' she said in a statement Monday . `` I simply will not be forced to admit to something I did not do . ''

Waters asserted that `` the record will clearly show that in advocating on behalf of minority banks neither my office nor I benefited in any way , engaged in improper action or influenced anyone . ... The case against me has no merit . ''

Waters has asked The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to make public the formal charges against her .

`` All I know is that I have not been charged , that there has been a report that was released that said further investigation , '' Waters said . `` Most people do n't have a clue about what these charges are supposed to be and we 're eager to get the information out . ''

The announcement this week by the ethics committee means Waters , 71 , may now face a trial by committee members tasked with determining whether there is `` clear and convincing evidence '' she broke congressional rules .

Rep. Charlie Rangel , D-New York , is also facing a possible ethics committee trial .

Rangel , the former chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee , has been accused of 13 violations of House rules involving alleged financial wrongdoing and harming the credibility of Congress .

Both trials could take place in September , only a few weeks before the midterm elections . The prospect of inquiries into two high-profile Democrats has compounded the fears of congressional Democrats nervous about their prospects in November .

`` I think that there should be a process that works for everybody . It should be fair , '' Waters said . `` People 's due process should not be trampled on . I think it 's unfortunate that these cases have been handled the way they 've been handled . ''

The growing likelihood of trials for Waters and Rangel also adds the explosive element of race to the political equation . Both representatives are leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus , and OneUnited Bank is one of the largest minority-owned banks in America .

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California Rep. Maxine Waters is accused of violating House ethics rules

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She has asked the ethics committee to hold a trial before November

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Waters is a 10-term congresswoman

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Rep. Charlie Rangel also faces ethics charges in the House